MAMEWorld Forums - Programming - Emulation Philosophical Question

Here's a Q for the mame dev team...

I understand and agree with emulating the roms to appear as the original arcade games did, of course (that's the whole mission statement for MAME, preservation not enhancement). Now, open your mind, and hear this out... I've put a lot of thought into it... and hopefully I can reach out to your emulation purist side, and not draw a defensive side, because I'm on YOUR side on this...

AND I'm not "crabbing about the color quality" when said quality is not as the game was originally meant to be...

BUT

Does it make sense to force the emulator to mimic the poor video quality of old/burned out monitor screens? Shouldn't they emulate the rom as the rom was meant to look when it was in its best environment; a new bright monitor, the way the programmer intended the game to look? Similar to Hollywood film restoration, removing the limitations of acid aged film or diffusion from the process of copying the films for distribution, restoring the images as they were originally shot and cut by the director and editor. On the original color monitors, red was meant to be red, blue was meant to be blue. There was no "plum." So, switching the monitor out for a better quality, higher contrast monitor had no effect on the rom itself, but allowed one to appreciate red for red it was meant to be. Ya?

An example (a huge hit in my house): Dr. Mario Brothers.

On my MacMAME the colors are bright and crisp primary colors.
Same ROM on my PC MAME .125, the colors are washed out and look like my new monitor is old and partially burned out. I can only assume the MEMEDev are trying to emulate it as they remember it on an old cabinet at the arcade.

Not to be silly, but then for that matter, along those philisophical lines, shouldn't the emulator ignore a credit input now and then (just like all the quarters I lost at the arcade when a machine takes it without giving me credit), or have your favorite game out of order for the day? And then, isn't that all now in the realm of simulation (simulating the arcade environment) and not emulation of the rom per se? Not trying to be silly, but just making a point about emulation philosophy and how it relates to color quality.

I would think emulating it in its crisp bright state when the cabinet (and monitor) were new would be most accurate, then let players add "effects" of "poor monitor quality" on top of that if they want to simulate the arcade wear and tear, just like players can choose bezels, background art, overlays, and screen lines, let them choose burn?

Just to stir the conversation.

All the same, let it be said that us "users" immensely appreciate the effort and sharing generosity of the "programmers", and the gift you give to the "grid" as a whole.

TRace ON

, and many thanks.